Secrets of the Dead | The Airmen and the Headhunters | PBS

(Warning -- contains graphic footage.) http://pbs.org/secrets The Airmen and the Headhunters premieres nationally on Veterans Day, Wednesday, November 11, 2009 at 8 p.m. (ET) on PBS (check local listings).
In 1944, as war raged across the globe, an incredible drama unfolded in the remote jungles of Borneo. A U.S. bomber was hit by Japanese anti-aircraft fire, and as the plane went down, the surviving crew ejected and parachuted into the wilderness. Pursued by Japanese soldiers, they were taken in and protected by members of the Dayak tribe‹the so-called ³wild men of Borneo,²who were infamous for their grisly custom of hunting and smoking enemy heads. Months later, the airmen were found by an eccentric British Major, who arrived in the jungle to set up a guerilla army, and built a runway out of bamboo so rescue planes could pick up the stranded airmen. Harder to believe than a fictional Hollywood thriller, their true tale is one of courage, survival, and compassion from the most unlikely sources. Based on the book of the same title by Judith Heimann and featuring exclusive testimonies from the last surviving airman, veterans and Dayak heroes, dramatic on-location recreations, archival film footage, and never-before-seen photographs, THIRTEEN's Secrets of the Dead series pieces together a thrilling jungle adventure.

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• WWII
• Dayak
• Borneo
• survival
• jungles
• plane crash
• PBS
• Secrets of the Dead

[tallthinwavy3]

@darkazesim Zoar It is 5:55 long

[onthejohnjohn]

brutal

[darkazesim]

Where can I find the theme music?

[LoverGetamped]

eeeeeeeee nasty!

[jw13303]

Watched this entire show last night on PBS.. VERY VERY GOOD show!!. Them "borneo' ppl are some badasses!

[Greenterror]

wow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[eagleclaw006]

this looks like it will be a great special

[voyeurdug]

Yes, pretty grisly. No wonder it's been untold until recently.